I was handed the $10 bill for a past bulk delivery of microgreens. What a surprise! I excitedly told my friend that Alexander would be joining our family on a cross-country trek through the Smoky Mountains. Perhaps he’d make it all the way down to the ocean with us! Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. … More Household economy stabilizing through family businesses
A heart attack throws a monkey wrench into the morass of gearworks linking tasks, business, and agendas, within a busy life. It all spins along in some semblance of efficiency—messy as it is—interconnected with other busy lives. Without warning, everything grinds to a halt. And, you wait. What once seemed vital—tumbled over obsessively in the … More All I want for Christmas….
The hard work of life will never be split perfectly down the middle 50/50 between two willing partners. Ever. The sooner you come to realize that, you’ll be happier, and your partnerships across all areas of life will be healthier. In any partnership—business, marriage, friendship—the workload shouldered by each individual is always fluctuating, never static. … More The key to successful partnering. And, how did the chickens go?
18 months ago, I was mired in a painting project, about to turn 40, and super depressed. Book sales had plateaued. It was painfully obvious that writing was not going to feed the family for the foreseeable future. To top it off, the carpenter working in the same house had a serious gastro-intestinal issue that … More Guesting on my favorite podcast in the whole wide world. Unfortunately, my bladder did too…
Just seven weeks ago, the bleakness seemed absolute. Beyond thought or comprehension. All we could do was huddle together and put one foot forward at a time in little baby steps. But which way was forward? Way too much happened all at once to not consider the possibility that the doors were closing on our … More Turnaround!
My column would have run for the local newspaper last weekend, but that paper now no longer exists. A little piece of me goes with it. Not only did I spend 25% of my lifetime writing for it, the terrifying process of coming up with something original each month made me into the writer that … More Gleanings from the book of Eli
The detonation just about shattered us. That day—a week+ in the rearview mirror—may have been the most stressful of my adult life. Thankfully, it’s all smoothing over. At the time, it felt like all may be lost. Though we curled up into a ball, catatonic, somehow we didn’t succumb to self-pity. Here’s what happened, all within … More When Calamity Strikes, HOLD ON!
